Internal-combustion engine



L. M. WOOLSON I MBUsTIoN ENGINE Filed Dc. 13'; 192,2' 3 sheers-shet 1 INTERNAL co r Feb. 8, 1927.

L. M. WOOLSON v i INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENG INE l Filled Dec.13, 1922 5 Sheets-snede Patented.' Feb." 8,1927# i a l 'LIONEL M. WooLsoN, oF DETROIT', MICHIGAN, As'sreiion ToI AcKAR1iMoToR 'den4 lcoiierineuvr, or'nETBoIT, MICHIGAN, A coRron'ATIoNor MICHIGAN," l j INTERNAI-CQMBUSTION ENGINE.'

Apiuicuon fue@ nebenher 13;"1922. serial No. 606,557.

This; invention relates tov-internal combustion engines, and moreparticularly to tion apparatus therefor. It contemplates the provision of a double' ignition 'systenn particularlyfor large, 'hearty7 duty airplane.

engines, which shallxbe reliable and etlicient, which shall' effect a material savingof ,weight in the-engine as-a whole, and which shall'reduce th'e'over all length thereof-below.' that of vprevious lunits ofcorresponding power. e l -Another obj-ect of the invention 'is to so' vmount Athose units of :the 'ignition .system which require attention and adjustment, asto Other objectsand structural features of this invention will appear. from the subl joined description, taken in connection wltli the .accompanyingI drawing, in which/ 1' Fig. 1 is a side elevation, broken away andtion' engine embodying the invention;

- ',Fig.l2'is an endelevation ofthe engine vshown inFig.A 1, viewed from thextiming gear end;

Fig. 3 isa detail view, partially insection, of themagneto drive gearmg;

F ig. 4 isa schematic View showingvtlie ein v terior electrlcal connections to the magneto,

and I Fig.\5 -isa diagrammaticrepresentation I )of the wiring of the magneto.

This invention has been illustrated and ldescribed in connection with 'an airplane enjgine of the Vtype. but it is not to be unl power -plants vof this derstood as limited 'to nature. Among 4the plane power plants are reliability, fand light'- ness in proportion yto power. The first of these is` absolutely essential, and in-furtherance of this consideration many modern 'aircraft engines are equiped with doubleignition. By 'a double ignition system vis meant 'a 'system-having duplicate setsrof ignition apparatus, each completein itself and each in itself sufficient to fire the engine. "In

i -this way the reliability of the apparatusis greatly increased, for if one of the sets' should fail, the 'other would continue 'to supply the ignition for the engine." At the same time, by simultaneous operation 4of both sets, the flame propagation in the cylinders is increased, and the power of the yenv gine thereby augmented.

4.principaldesiderata 4of air? These features .have been-obtained,.how-' ever, at the expense of increased wei-ght.. In

a double4 magneto system, for exa 'tmple, tl'rel duplicationy of thel drive gearing alone adds-k lvery materially. to the 'gross `weight of1 tha.' 'power plant.v 'Many .of the elements of fag. -r .magneto are suliiciently sturdy to'b'e practi-l`- cally indestructible, and f ailures'rarely occur in the rotor, cam, shaft, bearings."mag

nets, or coupling, of one `ofthese` machines.' On the other handythewindings, ,contact breakers, condenser-s, etc., are' of necessity delicate, and should" be duplicated to insure" l n 'continuity o'f engine 'operation.. provide a'maximum of accessibility thereto;

In view of these considerations,A this vin form above a cranlefsliaft 153'. -A housing 14 10 .vention provides a double ignition system for internal combustionv engines. in which"r j the unnecessary .duplication fof parts is" 4avoidedjand the weight diminished Nwhile providing the'maximum measure of reliabilpartially in section, of aniinternal eombusf sop@ above each of the'cylin'der banks contains v a longitudinally arranged camshaft', mount= ed in 'suitable bearings and-'adapted toactu' pate rocker arms 16', which 4operate the'engine valves'aga-inst the action'of springs 17 in the lusual manner. Eachcylinder'. banki's pro videdwith a suitable intakefmanifold-18,` to u which -fuel' is supplied by a' carburetor 19,` and exhaust pipes 2,1, through which the engine exhaust is ventedjto lthe atmosphere.

lach of the cylinders-'also' contains the `usual piston 22,. connected. by a rod 123- toa ".l

crank shaft 1 is journaled in':bearings 26,

crank V24c'of'tlie'engir'1e crank `shaft 13.', TheA suitably supported inthev engine crank case 27, which has a `removable 'lower'p'o'rtionjor1-v oil pan28, forming an oil sump'. One end of the crank shaft 13 is jo'urnaled in a suitable thrust bearing. 29 beyond which'it may' be connected to a'n `airplane propeller 3 1.

The othergend of the crank shaft 13,'be yond the end bearing 26, has av reducedpoition 32, journaled 'inv a bearingBS. Overv hanging this'bearing 23S-at t-he end` of shaft 13, is a Abevel gear 34 rigidly secured to the shaft 13, in any appropriate manner. Thol bevel 'gearj34 drives a bevel- `gear -36 on 'al tubular shaft. 37, vertically disposed below' the crank shaft 18 andprovidedat its lower` los vshaft 42 is jurnaled at its lower bearing 44, adapted provided, intermediate clined shafts 48, cach of ,'56, which passv through endgwith a bevel gear` 38 adapted drive .a suitable eil-pump (not shown) filithereto is a shaft 39 adapte-d to drive water pump 41, vby means of which circulation in the engine coolingsystem is maintained.

Disposed above the crank shaft 13 is a verticalsbaft 42, vprovided at its lower end with a bevel gear 43 adapted to inesh'with and Vbe driven by the bevel gear 34. rlhe end in a to absorb thrust, and is its ends, with a bevel gear 45, above which it is provided with a guide bearing 46. rlli-e bevel gear 45 meshes with two bevel 'gears 47, attached to the in# which drives one of the engine cam shatts priate gears at its upper end (not shown)a 'lhe upper end of the 'shaft 42, -is connected to the driving member of a coupling 49, adapted to drivethe shaft 5l 'of a vertically disposed magneto 52.

'lhe magneto'52 is enclosed in a dust and water' tight easing 53'and provided with a. cap 54 secured to the casing 53 by bolts hollow lugs 57 on assembly the casing 53 and secure the whole toa bracket 58,*formed on the engine base between the cylinder banks.` 'llic :magneto 52 is preferably of the typewhich lends itself readily vto compact and light design, but any other type of magneto, such` as the revolving armature type, may be employed. The magneto contains the usual primary windings lll and secondary windings 62, with contact breakers 63 inthe primary circuit, shunt-ed' by condensers 64. rlhese elements arranged in duplicate, one set for each branch the double ignition system shown in Fig. 5. The primary circuits are also connected to a suitable .switch t5, by which either or both of the branche of the sys-teni n'iay be switched on or rllhe Vterminal di? of cach of the two secondary windings 22 is connected by acable 6'? with the collector tcrminal of rotary distributor 68, v

The'dist-:ibutors 68 are of the well known type having a central vrotary s raft provided with a distributing arm '69, adapted to operate over a eircularly arranged series of corn' tacts, one for each of the engine cylinders. Each of these contacts is connected by a cable 7l tola spark plug 'Z2 in the engine cylin `der which it represents. "lhere are two lof the distributors G8, which are preferably mounted, as shown, on the ends of the housings 14, and driven-from the engine cam shafts, but it is to `be understood that they may be mounted'in any convenient place, as above the magneto cap 54, and may be driven in any suitable manner, as from the magneto shaft.

llt will .be observed that each of the engine cylinders is provided ned ywith the shaft 37 and removably secured connected by the cable complete and through appro# well known inductor fr :terasse i withtwo spark plugs 72, and that each of the distributors (S8-,is

in each cylinder. Accordingly, each of the branches ofthe ignitionsystein 1s in itself can supply tov a spark plug inv each cylinder the electrical impulses necessary to fire the engine.

'lhemagneto 52, while generating the trical energy for both of the branches of the system, contains but a single housing, a single rotor and shaft, a single set ofy bearings,`and a single cani.' ltiwill be understood that thecam operates both sets of contact' breakers. Furthermore, only a single elec- 71 to one spark plug' `r drive shaft42, a single set of driving gears '-34 and 43, and a single coupling 49 is required, thus further materially. reducing the weight.

.y n'iou'nting'the,magneto 52 vertically in the t of the engine, nearthe end thereof,.its accessibility is much increased, and in ad( ition it can be readily removed by unscrewing the bolts 56 and withdrawing them from the lugs 5l', the shaf en at the coupling. ltwill beunderstood that various forms of the' invention other than those described above mayv be used without departing from lthe spirit or scope of. the invention.

. lVhat is claimed is: v y

l. 'ln'comb'ination with Ian internal coinbustion 'engine having Atwo banks of cylinders arranged in li and provided with a double ignition system, a vertically disposed' shaft, a magneto arranged between the cylinder' banks adjacent one end thereof and adapted to supply beth branches of the double ignition system, and means coi'inecting said magneto in driving relation with said vertical shaft. y y

2. ln an internal combustion engine havt connection. being broklos ing a double ignition system, a magneto disposed in the vertical planc'of,the engine crankshaft and adapted to supply both branches of the ignition system, and means comprising a ver ical shaft a-lined with and adapted to drive said magneto from the en gine crankshaft.

:3. ln combination with an ir'" bustion engine having a double 1g n'tion system, a magneto adapted to supply bothbranches of said system, comprising a rotor, a contact breaker for each branch and wind ings for eachbranch, a shaft disposed vertically with respect to the engine crankshaft and means coupling .said magneto to said shaft in driving relation.

4. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a double ignition system, a magneto adapted to generate electrical impulses to supply both branches of said system, a magneto shaft connected .to the engine, and separate distributing means for each of said branches, separately conneoted-,to and' driven from the "magneto shaft'. 1 y 5. In'an internal combustion'englne ,hav-

I adapted` to ysupply both branches of said' "system comprising a IOQE ,afshaft opera'-4 tiv'ely mounted-to drive saidf-rotor,'an`cl"a pair of. distributers eachv adapted to* supply one ofthe branches of .the system, mounted' independently ofzsaid shaft'.

jing; a double ignition system', magneto' having a single 'rotor -toifsupply both 4branches of said. system, a shaft 'adapted .to

lietweenthe engine and..th e rtor.'

-7, In combination Jvyitli., 'an internal' coml i' bustion engine ',of the'V 'type having overhead cainsliats for each bank of cylinders,

tical shaft andl af rotor thereon, two Contact breakers each adapted to operateonebranch. of a double. ignition system,I and a dis 'tributorfor' each branch -each camshaft.

mounted one Qn 8. InI combination with 4an bnstion engine of the V type, a vertical shaft 'in said V, means'driving'said shaft from the.engine-crankshaft,'a camshaft for each .bank of saidengine, means driving each lcamshaft vfrom the vertical shaft, a double ignition ,system foi-fthe engine, and a Single magneto for said system having a shaft :rlined with and coupled to the vertical shaft. 9. In' comhination with an internal coini. systenn In an internal combustion englne hav@ hustion enginef, ofipthe-l type .having y double'- ignitionsystem5fvertical 'shaft dri' ven from the'...engine,. a @pair of inclinedv ing aA double ignition. system, a inagneto 'shafts adapted to'drlve the engine oamshafts:

magneto 'vertically 'arrangedbetween the -cyl'inde'r-banks or the. engine andfdriven'y n 'rom'the said vertical s'ha-tradapted. to supe,

ply lootlil hranch'es .ofj said. doub1e'-ignition- 10. In en internaleombustion engine hav! ing tivo'banks oi 'cylindersjarrangedin .a V, 'a .camshaft for eachrbank,I an inclined shaft'drivin'geach camshaft', -a'vertically arranged shaft., driving.' 'theinclined Shafts and. 'Cllfi've ,from the nglie; e db ubie igni.

"magnetogf'removably supported in the -V and'A driven Q yfrom the. vertioalshaft, 'adapted to f .and driven by. the said camshafts. a magneto arranged in the V, having 'aver- 1l. The vcombination* xvitl1',' an internal combustion engine having a crank case and Y banks-of cylinders thereon inclined to .formvv Va .V,-of a cani shaft `for each banket cylin--"V ders, inclined sliaite adapted 'to' drive 'sai-d calin shafts; a 'verticalsha't operatively connected to the engine.andtlie'inclined shafts,`

andv a double ignition`system for. the engine.l

including 'a singlemagneto secured to the crank-case' in 'the V and driven fro 1n the vertical shaft at-thenpper end thereof, said' magneto 1 being adapted 'to rsupply both l 'branches of said sy'stem.

In testimony whereof I aX my signature.

LIONEL M. WooLe'oN. 

